I have not read any philosophy text in my life but I read that Culture is not about knowing something but to know where you can find the information you are looking for.
Ron , Photo Engineer posted at his posts , an experts name from Eastman House on Autochrome. Dont waste your energy to finding something which somebody already knows.
PM , Photo Engineer , find the e mail and directly post to him.

Second way is to find my Autochrome Recipe post and find the Woman Expert name there and ask to her.
Her e mail is already there.

Have you got the link of that woman ?
I have already read a lot on the forum but i didn't found the recipe. You know, for me it's hard to read all the posts in english, and the translator don't guve good translation.
You speack about the French Autochrome makers, do you speak about Frederic Mocellin ? If it's him, he use "Primal N 580". It's not like the recipe of Louis Lumière.

Best

Shaz

Last edited by shaz; 03-20-2011 at 11:15 AM. Click to view previous post history.

The "Benzine" is weighed and put in a mixer barrel in rotation. We put the latex and you mix untill complete dissolution, it takes 3 days. With pressure air you put in a reservoir and we put the damar wax. We filter this under pressure.
The first varnish viscosity is between 875 and 880.

In Chemistry, Benzine and Benzene are two vastly different chemical compounds. IDK how the French may differ, but I point this out as one of the difficulties in preparing an Autochrome. I might also mention that hand made Autochromes even by the Lumiere Brothers were not of high quality until they made it into a manufactured product. The hand made materials were reportedly far inferior. It was the scale up and automation that helped them reach the level of perfection that they finally reached.

I received below mail from Luisa Casella from Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Luisa Casella

Sherman Fairchild Center for Works on Paper and Photograph Conservation

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue

New York, NY 10028-0198

T. +1 212 396 5524

F. +1 212 650 3811

E. luisa.casella xxxxxxxx metmuseum.org

APPENDIX I: PREPARATION OF THE LAYERS1

Selecting the starch grains

Autochrome starch grains were in the range of 10 to 20 microns in diameter. Resolution of the image is not critical for the present experiment. A separation by flotation will be done to avoid larger grains2.

Fill a large container with 2 liters of distilled water and 75 grams of potato starch.

Stir vigorously. Allow it to set for 15 minutes. The majority of grains are deposited in the bottom, while the smaller particles remain in suspension. Using a plastic tube, siphon the intermediate layer as best as possible (avoiding being to close to the top or the bottom).

Filter this solution using a Büchner funnel covered with filter paper, recovering a few grams of starch grains. Rinse these in ethanol and air dry.

After dry, gently pestle the grains in a mortar to separate lumps.

Tinting of starch grains:

Dilution of the dyes in distilled water will be done according to original dilutions in autochrome plates:

Orange-red grains:

Distilled water – 100 ml

Erythrosine – 14,5 g

Rose Bengal – 2,6 g

Tartrazine – 19,7 g

Green grains:

Distilled water - 100 ml

Ammonia - 9 g

Tartrazine - 21 g

Patent Blue - 10 g

Sodium Sulfate - 21 g

Violet-blue grains:

Distilled water - 100 ml

Crystal Violet - 7 g

Malachite Green - 1 g

Tartrazine was used in different concentrations both in the orange-red (19,7g) and in the green grains (21g); the concentration for this experiment will therefore be the approximate average - 20g.

In the case of the dyes present in the green dye (tartrazine and the patent blue) ammonia and sodium sulfate are added so the ionic environment provided by the starch would adsorb the colors.

Tinting:

The selected starch grains are mixed to its mass equivalent in dye-saturated solution.

In the present experiment the dyes are individually added to the starch. The ratio will be maintained as above, except for Tartrazine of which an average value will be used (2,27g).

Stir the mix for 30 minutes to one hour until there are no white starch grains. This is done at room temperature, except for Crystal Violet and Malachite Green which need to be at 30°C using a double-boiler. Strain the solution through Whatman filter paper and air dry.

5,6 ml of the 10% solution of dammar residue in toluene (see second varnish) - this solution is obtained from the mixture described in the second varnish (ethyl acetate and dammar) after rinsing with 60ml of ether and let dry. Make a 10% solution in toluene3.

Second varnish: 4

In a container, add:

Ethyl acetate – 300 ml
Dammar gum – 28,8 g
Let dissolve for 24 hours, stirring occasionally. An insoluble residue is left in the bottom. Recover this residue using filter paper. Use the residue for first varnish.

I read in your post the same things i read in the book. There is nothing different.
She don't give the name of the latex. What is the name of the latex ? Where can we see her Autochrome please ?
Where can we see pictures of someone who begin to make autochrome ?

For me, we have to make the most like the book. . Perhaps i'm wrong.

Best

Shaz

Last edited by shaz; 03-20-2011 at 01:49 PM. Click to view previous post history.

Interesting about selecting the starch grains.. How though, does one get a perfect layer of only one starch grain? Is that not the most important part of the autochrome? Any starch grain size would work to some extent, and any suitable dye could be used.

Yes it is really interesting. I saw on internet a 20 microns sieve for 50 euros. I can't buy it for the moment and i hope it will stay for sale until i get the money.

For the latex, , i read something other there is ten minute in the Lavedrine Book. Something that it was really hard to read...Mr Louis Lumière had not a good write .... He wrote :

The special Latex is ""Fouta"" choose among the most white ball specially prepared by Bergougnan.

Fouta is in Africa if i'm right. Fouta-Djalon. I say that just for the story...and i found on internet a text in french..it's write that in 1900 the tire was made with this latex.
Certainly not all the tire.... .

I will try like i think like you say holmburgers. . Normally tomorrow i'm gone buy the latex ADS. I know that it's not the best latex but i say to this enterprise that i will buy their latex.